What do Hindus celebrate? - Lesson 4: Divali

This engaging series of RE lessons for KS1 comes with lesson plans, a choice of learning activities, differentiated worksheets, slides, and a whole range of other teaching resources.

The first lesson in this series gives your class an overview of the Hindu religion. It explores where and when Hinduism began and then goes on to look at what Hindus believe. They will find out about some of the major deities of Hinduism as well as exploring some key features of Hindu worship.

This lesson looks at some of the moments in childhood that are celebrated by Hindus. Known as 'samskaras', these special events include pre-birth celebrations, name ceremonies, first haircuts, and thread ceremonies that symbolise the transition from childhood to adulthood. As well as finding out about special events for Hindu children, your class will also think about special celebrations they have experienced in their own childhoods.

After discussing the experiences your children have had with weddings themselves, they will then explore traditional Hindu weddings. They will find out about the ceremony itself as well as special ways in which the bride, groom and their families prepare for this very special day.

Now that your class know about some of the special events that are celebrated by Hindu families, they will go on to look at some Hindu festivals. This lesson explores the festival of Divali. Your class will read the story of Rama and Sita together and will find out some of the ways in which Hindus celebrate this special occasion, such as with divas and rangoli patterns.

In this lesson, your class will learn about Raksha Bandhan. This Hindu festival celebrates the relationship between brother and sister. As well as exploring how Hindus celebrate this festival, such as through giving rakhi bracelets, your children will have the chance to reflect on people in their own lives who look out for them and who they, in turn, take care of.

The final lesson in this series looks at the popular Hindu festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. This festival celebrates the birthday of the elephant-headed god, Ganesh. Your class will find out what happens during the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations and think about how this birthday is different or similar to their own birthday celebrations.